First Nations leaders condemn racist comments by Conservative candidate

Indigenous leaders in B.C. are condemning more racist comments from inside the Conservative Party, this time by a candidate waiting for an election vote recount on Vancouver Island.

First reported in the Vancouver Sun, candidate Marina Sapozhnikov told a student reporter on election night that First Nations people “didn’t have any sophisticated laws. They were savages. They fought each other all the time.”

She also said, “90 per cent of Indigenous people use drugs.”

“Comments like this from their candidates? I think it’s not surprising, but at the same time, it shouldn’t be tolerated by any person, or any Canadian citizen, or any British Columbian,” said Terry Teegee, Regional Chief for the BC Assembly of First Nations.

“It’s angered a lot of First Nations. And quite simply, I think one of the first things that came to my mind was, first of all, I challenge [BC Conservative Party Leader] John Rustad to either fire her or kick her out of the party, or she needs to resign. Quite simply there’s two options here.”

Sapozhnikov trailed NDP candidate Dana Lajeuenesse by just a handful of votes in their riding of Juan de Fuca-Malahat heading into this weekend’s recount, as the election continues to hang in the balance.

Political scientist Hamish Telford says the close margin between the NDP and Conservatives might play a role in Rustad’s reluctance to fire candidates who have made racist comments.

“If the NDP eke out a majority, and the Conservatives are indeed the Opposition, does John Rustad cut ties with some of these candidates?,” Telford said.

“If this remains very tight in a minority situation, he needs every person available.”

This is the third BC Conservative candidate under fire for racism. Before election day, Brent Chapman — who won Surrey-South for the Conservatives — was criticized for his Islamophobic Facebook posts. Dallas Brodie — who won her riding in Vancouver-Quilchena — made comments at an all-candidates debate about what Indigenous people are responsible for if they want equal treatment.

Rustad has condemned all of these comments, but hasn’t indicated that he’ll make any of these candidates step down.

“Brodie, Chapman — very similar disparaging remarks against Indigenous peoples and Islamophobic comments,” Teegee said.

“I think it’s really important to call this out because, quite simply, British Columbia and Canada is much more than this.”

The Leader Spirit reached out to Sapohznikov and Rustad for comment.